“Acorns and Green Glass” 14×18, Oil on Linen.  This painting has bee juried into the 1st Spring Best of America SMALL PAINTING Exhibition in Nashville, TN.

The exquisite detail in paintings by Loren DiBenedetto are a hallmark of her work.  Her sensitive handling of her subject matter, the harmonious color palette, and the graceful compositions create a sensation of quiet beauty.  She often sets her subjects against a neutral background to bring forward their importance, and carefully directs the light and shadow.

  “First of Spring”, 18×24, Oil on Linen, Tree’s Place Gallery, Orleans, MA

Loren DiBenedetto grew up in a creative household, where both parents were amateur artists, and encouraged her creativity.  She holds a degree from the DuCret School of the Arts in New Jersey, and her art instruction continued at the prestigious National Academy of Design (now the National Academy Museum and School) and the Art Students League in New York City.

  “Dance of the Daffodils”, 24×36, Oil on Linen,The Art Cellar, Banner Elk, NC

Inspired by Master Artists such as DaVinci and Sargent, contemporary artists Daniel Sprick, Daniel Keys and Kathy Anderson, DiBenedetto has skillfully created her own brand of realism.  Using nature as her muse, she most often works in the still life genre.  Inspiration comes easily from the simple effect of light hitting an object, or the display of fruit at the local grocer.  Her depictions of natural objects focuses on their form and color, and she arranges them in compositions that include elements of texture, line and often a bit of unpredictability.

  “Bag of Cherries”, 16×20, Oil on Linen, Private Collection.

Her process begins by setting up the still life in natural light, often in morning or late afternoon to get the best shadows.  She takes many photos, and after sorting through the photos, she chooses her best options, often working from multiple shots.  Working on a neutral-toned canvas, she chooses whether to do an underpainting.  Her palette consists of titanium white, cadmium yellow light and medium, cadmium orange, cadmium red light and dark, alizarin crimson, yellow ochre, raw sienna, burnt umber, raw umber, burnt sienna, sap green, ultramarine blue, cobalt turquoise, and ivory black.

  “Gourds and Bittersweet”, 12×25, Oil on Linen, The Art Cellar, Banner Elk, NC

Though DiBenedetto has won numerous awards, she states that her greatest accomplishment is the ability to paint every day.  The common thread of advice running through all successful artists is the importance of practice.  As Loren states: “Paint, paint, paint.  Being successful in any endeavor takes time and practice, painting is no exception.  Make a commitment to what you would like to accomplish and go for it!”

Loren DiBenedetto is represented by Tree’s Place Gallery, Orleans, MA; Anderson Fine Art Gallery, St. Simon Island, GA; Art Cellar Gallery, Banner Elk, NC; Warm Springs Gallery, Warm Springs, VA; and Hughes Gallery, Boca Grande, FL.

To view more work by Loren DiBenedetto, visit her website at www.lorendibenedetto.com

To view more work from the 1st Spring Best of America SMALL PAINTING Exhibition, visit www.noaps.org/events.

Written by Patricia Tribastone, NOAPS Blog Director